Broadway and Hollywood stars – and Northport natives – Edie Falco and Chris Messina will lead a staged reading of Thornton Wilder's classic American play Our Town at the John W. Engeman Theater in Northport on Sunday, September 4 at 7pm. Our Town is being produced by the family of Philip and Phyllis Messina, with all proceeds from the performance going to benefit Northwell Health's Huntington Hospital neurosurgery department.

A Northport High School graduate with roots in the school’s theater program, Chris Messina began his acting career off-Broadway. He is known for his roles in TV series such as The Mindy Project, Damages, Medium and Law & Order. He’s also had supporting roles in films such as Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Argo, Julie & Julia, Ruby Sparks, You've Got Mail, and Birds of Prey.

In 2000 (19 years after graduating from Northport High School), Edie Falco became one of the few actresses in history to sweep all of the major television awards (the Emmy, the Golden Globe and the SAG Award) in one year for her dramatic role asCarmela in the HBO series The Sopranos. She is also the first female actor ever to receive the Television Critics Association Award for Individual Achievement in Drama, and gained even more critical acclaim for her role as the title character in the Showtime series Nurse Jackie.

The Philip and Phyllis Messina family holds an annual event to raise money for the continuing works of Dr. Robert Kerr and the neurosurgical unit at Huntington Hospital. In November of 2017, Philip Messina, a Fort Salonga resident and former president of what became New York Community Bank, was diagnosed with glioblastoma and treated by Dr. Kerr.

The exceptional care given to Philip and his family led to this yearly charitable gathering. All proceeds from the theater event will benefit Huntington Hospital in the memory of Philip and his wife Phyllis Messina, who passed away last summer.

Northwell Health's Huntington Hospital's Neurosurgery Department is dedicated to advancing patient care through cutting-edge research. Department clinicians aim to improve patient care through a multifaceted and multidisciplinary approach. It’s this type of philanthropic support that fuels the program’s enhancement and allows for the care of patients who suffer from traumatic brain and spine injury, brain tumor, stroke, concussion, spinal tumors, and more. Every innovative step in program and facility enhancements supports improvements in the procedure of diagnosis and treatment, and the life expectancy of patients.

The performance of Our Town will take place at the John W. Engeman Theater, located at 250 Main Street on Sunday, September 4. The lobby will open at 6pm for ticket holders, with the performance starting at 7pm. Tickets can be purchased online at www.engemantheater.com, by calling the theater at 631-261-2900, or by visiting the Engeman Theater Box Office. Tickets are $200, with all proceeds going to the neurosurgery department at Northwell's Huntington Hospital.